TRANMERE aim to show they can follow Leyton Orient up the path that leads away from the League One danger zone when the teams meet at Prenton Park this afternoon.

The Londoners head for the Wirral on the back of a six-game unbeaten run that lifted them from the bottom four to a mid-table position within less than a month.

Rovers, fresh from taking four points from games on the road at Gillingham and Southend last week, show signs once again of putting a decisive run together.

The next step is to move out of the relegation places for the first time since August and a victory over Orient should be enough to take them that far.

Manager Les Parry said: “Orient’s example shows what can happen when a team puts results together on the bounce. They are third in the current form charts and it lifted them to mid table.

“That’s something we have to aim for. We’ve not had two consecutive defeats since the end of October and that shows the character in the side. But we’ve not had two consecutive league wins either.

“Two consecutive wins would put us up there with Orient. It is another box for the lads to go for – and we have ticked a lot of boxes this season.”

Today’s match brings the teams together for the fourth time this season. They met three times in November and, in Parry’s view, each game produced a result that did not reflect the balance of the contest.

Parry said: “I felt we battered them in the FA Cup tie here but the game was a draw. They had the better of the replay but we beat them.

“Then we had the better of the league game a few days later and they beat us. Those results had no reflection on the relative performances.”

Orient’s upturn in form was not sparked by an influx of new players and Parry said: “If their manager, Geraint Williams, could put his finger on what made the difference, he would have done it six months ago.”

Rovers will be able to name three loan players on the team sheet today who were not with the club when they last met Orient. Luke O’Neill, an 18-year-old defender signed of a month’s loan from Leicester City on Thursday, looks sure to start in the right-back slot in place of the suspended Shaleum Logan.

Striker Marvin Sordell, midway through a month’s loan from Watford, hopes for his fourth Tranmere appearance and first home start.

Chris McCready, recruited on a loan from Northampton that runs until the end of the season, stands by for a call-up at centre back because of fitness concerns over Ian Goodison.

Striker Bas Savage, approaching the end of a 10-month comeback trail from a ruptured Achilles tendon injury, hopes to find his name among the substitutes at the very least.

Parry said: “Bas has been knocking on the door and dropping little hints that he is ready. If he is not involved I know he is going to be disappointed but that is the nature of the game.”

Goodison did not train during the early part of the week to give the ankle injury time to settle. Parry suspects that if the experienced Jamaican is able to play today, the injury could flare again and put him in doubt for the home game against Huddersfield at Prenton Park on Tuesday.

Orient boss Williams says he will not tolerate complacency creeping into his team after home draws in the last two games against Brighton and Leeds.

“We don’t want to get into the habit of saying we’re unbeaten, we picked up a point today,” warned Williams.

“It’s two games we’ve drawn at home and we want to be winning games, so I think it’s important that we get back to winning ways as soon as possible.”

Midfielder Jason Demetriou does not expect an easy ride at Prenton Park. “Rovers for me are always a difficult side to go to and get three points” he said.

“But right now it is them and the teams around them who have to come out and face us. We are in a stronger position.”